I am going to spend part of the winter in Europe and all I’m packing is this:
Only things missing from this photo? Underwear.
Here’s the nitty gritty of what will be going into my backpack.
2 pairs of blue jeans, 1 pair of black jeans
4 sweaters
4 long sleeve tees
5 short-sleeve tees
1 cape (I had to allow myself one splurge)
10 pairs of underwear
2 bras
10 pairs of socks
2 dresses
2 pairs of boots
…and that. is. it.
I’ve been very selective in my color scheme. I’m basically only bringing gray, black, white and camel basics with the occasional striped tee for layering purposes.
But stuffing it all into a backpack is the tricky part. One trick I’m relying on is a few small cotton pouches, like this one that’s filled with my bras and underwear.
Normally when I travel, clean socks and underwear get mixed up. It’s bad. By keeping them in pouches, they’ll be easy to keep separate from any dirty laundry and they’ll also be easy to grab if I’m in a rush to get dressed.
For me, toiletries are the hard part. Since I’m a creature of habit with my beauty routine, I am bringing my own full size shampoo and face wash. If I need anything else while I’m over there, I’ll just grab something at a pharmacy. I hate travel-sized items because I think they’re a complete waste of time. I go big or don’t bring any at all.
While I’m traveling around Europe, I plan on taking lots of snapshots and notes about European style. I’ll be reporting to you from abroad until I’m back in February!